The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-10-13

from being grievously wronged by some
man who prOfessed to be Christian.
They had a partner III business who turned
out TO be first class scoundrel, thougha "a
professed Christian. Twenty years ago
they lost all faith by what happened in an
oil company which was formed amid the
petroleum excitement. The company
owned no land, or if they did, there was
no sign of oil produced; but the president
of the company was a Presbyterian elder,
and the treasurer was an Episcopal veStry-
man, and one director was Methodist
class leader, and the other directors prom
inent members of Baptist and Congrega
tiOnal churches. Circulars were gOttef.
out telling what fabulous prospects opened
before this company. Innocent men anc
women who had little money to invest,
and that little their all, said: 81 don't
know anything about this company, but
so many good men are at the head Of ii
that it must be excellent, and taking stock
in it must be almost as good as joining
the church" " So they bought the stock,
and perhaps received one dividend SO as
to keep them still, but after while they
found that the company had reorganized,
and had different president, and differ
ent treasurer, and different directors.
Other engagements or i'll health had
caused the former officers of the company,
with many regrets, to resign. And all
that the subscribers of that stock had to
show for their investment was beauti-
fully ornamented certificate. Sometimes
that man looking over his old papers
comes across that certificate, and it is SO
suggestive that he VOWS he wants none OF
the religion that the presidents and trus
tees and directors of that oil company
professed. OF course their rejection Of
| religion on such grounds was unphiloso-
phical and unwise. | am told that one
third of the United States army desert
every year, and there are 10000 court
martial trials every year. Is that any
thing against the United States govern
ment that swore them in? And if soldiers
of Jesus Christ desert, is that anything
against the Christianity which they swore
! to support and defend? How do you judge
of the currency of a country? By a
! counterfeit bill? Oh, you must have pa
| tience with those who have been swindled
| by religious pretenders. Live in the pres
ence of others a frank, honest, earnest,
Christian life, that they may be attracted
to the same Saviour upon whom your
hopes depend.
Remember skepticism always has some
reason, good or bad, for existing. Goethe's
irreligion started when the news came to
! Germany of the earthquake at Lisbon.
Nov. 1, 1875. That 60, 900 people should
have perished in that earthquake and in
the after rising Of the Tagus river SO
stirred his sympathies that he threw up
his belief III the goodness of God.
Others have gone into skepticism from
natural persistence in asking the reason
why. They have been fearfully stabbed
of the interrogation point. There are SO
many things they cannot get explained.
They cannot understand the Trinity or
how God can be sovereign and yet man a
free agent. Neither can l. They say:
Il don't understand why a good God
should have let sin come into the world. "
Neith@ do I. You say: 'Why was that
child started in life with such disad-
vantages, while others have all physical
and mental equipment?' ! cannot tell
They go out of church on Easter morn
ing and say: THAT doctrine Of the resur-
rection confounded me-" So it is to NE
mystery beyond unravelment. un-
derstand all the processes by which men
get into the dark. I know them all.
have travelled with burning feeG that
blistered way. The first word that chill
dren learn to utter is generally papa OF
mamma. l think the first word I ever
uttered was "Why." ] know what
it is to have a hundred midnights
pour their darkness into our hour.
Such men are not to be scoffed at but
helped Turn your back upon drown
ing man when you have the rope with
which to pull him ashore, and let that
woman in the third story of a house
perish in the flames when you have {
ladder with which to help her out and
help her down, rather than turn yoUl
back scofingly on a skeptic whose soul i;
in more peril than the bodies of those
other endangered ones possibly can be
, Oh, skepticism is a dark land. There art
men in this house who would give {
thousand worlds if they possessed them
to get back to the placid faith of theil
fathers and mothers, and it is our place
to help them, and we may help them
never through their heads, but al
ways through their hearts. These slzep
|
nightly affected, far more SO than those
who never examined the evidences o
Christianity, Thomas Chalmers was once
a skeptic, Robert Hall a skeptc, Rober
| Newton a skeptic, Christmas Evans f;
skeptic. But when once with strong han(
they took hold of the chariot of the Cos
pei they rolled it on with what mo
, mentum! If I address such men an(
women to-day, | throw out no scof.
implead them by the memory of the goot
old days when at their mothers kne,
they said: 'Now lay me down to sleep,
and by those days and nights of scarle
fever in which she watched you, givin3
, you the medicine at just the right time
and turning your pillow when it was hoG
, and with hands that many years ag,
turned to dust, sOOthed away your pail
{ and with voice that you will never hea
. again, unless you join her ia the bette
f country, told you TO never mind, for yol
. would feel better by and by, and by tha
q dying couch, where she looked so pal
{ and talked so slowly, catching her breatl
7 between the words, and you felt an aw
g full loneliness coming over your soul; b
all that, beg you to come back and tax
u lltS EtiiIAS ANAA{oASA' IL W stS SoOOd N4tS1ico
I FOR her. 1t is good enough for you. Nay
e have better plea than that. plea
f | by all the wounds and tears end bloO
n and groans and agonies and death thfoe
It of the Son of God, who approaches 70
= this moment with torn brow and lacerate
= hand, and whipped back, and saying
r Come unto me, all ye who are wear
d and heavy laden, and will give 70
i rest.''
S Again, there is field of usefulness bU
e little touched occupied by those who al
S astray in their habits, All northern L;
+ tions, like those of North America an
V England and Scotland-that is, in IL
i colder climates-are devastated by alec
8 holism. They take the fire to keep UP IL
T warmth. In southern countries like Arf
d bia and Spain, the blood is so they are nt
d tempted to fiery liquids. The great Roma
armies never drank anything strongC
n ! than water tinged with vinegar, but unds
% ii SSS =